Knitted fabric



May s, 1924.

W. A. HOUCK KNITTED FABRIC Filed Aug. V12

, 19.19 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IFT/venite?.-

May 6, i924. 1,493,203

vv. A. HoucK KNI TTED FABRIC Filed Aug. 12, 1919 3 sheets-sheet 2laugh.. 4v.,

May 6, 1924. 1,493,203

W. A. HOUCK KNITTED FABRIC Filed Aug. l2, 1919 55 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented May 6K, 1924.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. BIOUCK, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T HEMPHILL COM- lPAN Y', 0F PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

KNITTED FABRIC.

Application led August 12, 1919. Serial No. 317,069.

Tocll whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM A. Hof-IGK, a citizen of the United States,anda resident of Reading, in the county of Berks and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improvelnent in Knitted Fabrics, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts. This invention relates to knitted fabrics. In order that theprinciple of the invention may be readily understood, I have intheaccompanying drawings shown one type of such fabric. In saiddrawingsf- Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation and upon anenlarged scale of the said fabric produced in accordance with thepreferred method of operation herein disclosed and representing the sameat one stage of the operation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but representing the fabric at a differentstage of the operation;

Fig. 3 represents diagrammatically merely three stages in the formationof the open work or lace work effect;

Fig. 4 represents a portion of the fabric in its complete or final formand shape;

Fig. 5 represents a stocking or hose produced by the vmethod hereindisclosed;

Fig. 6 represents a portion of knitted fabric formed by the practicer ofa slight modification of the said method;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a hose or stocking embodying the fabricshown in Fig. 6; y

Fig. 8 indicates diagrammatically certain steps in the production of thefabric shown in Figs. 6 and 7; and

Fig. 9 represents a sinker of special form preferably employed inproducing the fabric shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

My invention relates more particularly to hosiery or other knittedfabrics with socalled open-work or lace effects caused bystructuralVariations of any suitable char-` acter in the knitted fabric.My invention may be practised or carried out by and in many differenttypes of knitting machines, and is .in nowise limited in this respect.lPreferably, however, I produce the fabric upon a knitting machine ofthe t e disclosed in my Patent No. 1,400,163 and in accordance withl themethod fully disclosed in said patent, ,and to which reference is madefor a full disclosure of the method and mechanism for practising myinvention.

It thas -heretofore been proposed to form open or lace-Work effectseither as longitudinal rows or as zigzag or other lines bya sinkeraction, but so far as I am aware without satisfactory results. One of '4the reasons for the failure to secure satisfactory results by a sinkeraction has been that the yarn or thread with which a special sinker hasenga-ged in a course of loops has in the subsequent and succeedingcourses been robbed by the adjacent needle vloops with the result thatthe attempted open or lace work eHect has been of irregular and whollyundesirable shape and the adjacent needle portion has been so enlargedthat substantially all effect of a predetermined design is lost, theappearance being rather of irregularly shaped loops with improperspacing therebetween.

In the practice of my invention and after a prolonged course ofexperimentation, I have produced a knitted fabric having open orlace-work effects both as straight longitudinal stripes and as otherpatterns by causing the special sinkers, shown in my said Patent No.1,400,163, to engage the yarn or thread Aduring a certain course termedthe first course, and upon the next lsucceeding course causing thethroat of such sinker to engage that part of the yarn or thread that wasdrawn or acted upon by said shoulder in the last preceding course,whereby the yarn or thread which, after said shoulder has acted thereonin the first course, is in part robbed therefrom by the adjacent needleloops in the same course on either side so as unduly and improperly toenlarge said needle loops, is by the throat 27 restored to its formerposition as the open work, the adjacent needle loops on each side beingcaused to give up the yarn or y thread thus robbed by them. The resultis that in the resulting stripe or other pattern of so-called open workor lace effect each edge or margin of the open Work or I refer to mysaid patent fora full disclosure and explanation of the method wherebymy fabric is made.

Such an open work fabric differs in several particulars from one whereinthe open work or lace Work stripe or other effects are due to omittedneedles or to some other peculiarity of needle action. By the sinkeraction, as herein described, more yarn is taken than in regularknitting, instead of less where there are omitted needles, the extraamount of yarn being the amount by which the sum of all of the specialsinker wales exceeds the sum of the same number of ordinary sinkerWales.

In Fig. 1, I have represented. with substantial accuracy the shape andcondition of the sinker Wale or open work stripe produced by the actionof one of the special sinkers, suc-h, for example, asy the specialsinker 18, and of the adjacent needle loops and Wales. Viewing saidfigure, it will be observed that the shoulder 25 thereof engages theyarn at 68 and has produced a bight or loop at such point in the saidfirst course. In the next succeeding course, the throat 27 has engagedthe same bight or loop at 68a and has restored it to its originalcondition. thus counteracting the robbing to which said loop or bightwas subjected by the adjacent needle loop. At 68h, 68c and 68d I haveindicated the loop or bight 68,- that is, the open work formation-in thesucceeding courses, it being noted that the length of yarn 68c and 68dis that of the full open work effect and that the length of yarn 68b isalso of the full open work length, but it is somewhat arched inappearance because the bight or loop has not wholly passed from thesinker.

In Fig. 2, I have represented the appearance of the fabric at the pointwhere the special sinker 18 is fully retracted and is freed from theloop indicated at 68. Such loop is therefore at such point andimmediately thereafter robbed or contracted by reason of the enlargementof the yadjacent needle loops.

In Fig. 3, I have represented wholly diagrammatically three stages ofthe operation at A, B, C. At A the special sinker, such as 18, acts uponthe yarn to produce. the loop or bight 68. Upon the retraction of thesinker, the loop or bight 68 shortens as indicated at68 and the adjacentneedle loops are enlarged as indicated at 69, 70. At C, I have indicatedthe condition when the throat 27 engages the loop or bight 68 in thesecond course, the bight or open work effect being indicated at 68', theadjacent needle loops being restored to their normal size as indicatedat 69', 70.

In Fig. 4, I have represented a portion of knitted fabric having an openwork stripe therein formed in accordance with the method hereindisclosed. In Fig. 5, I have represented a hose or stocking herein shownas having a ribbed top 71, a leg 72, a high splice 73 above the heel 74and a toe 75 preceding which is a portion 76 knitted from the toe yarnbut by circular knitting. I have herein represented the said hose orstocking as having open work or lace Work stripes 77 at the front of thestocking and open work stripes or lacework stripes 78 at the back of thestocking and extending down to the high splice 73. A highly desirablecharacteristic of my invention is the readiness with which the open workor lace work stripes or othervariations or pattern effects based thereonmay be provided throughout the entire extent of the stocking both atfront and rear and with equal effectiveness.

The ribbed top 71 is incorporated with a section 79 of plain knitting,that is, of knitting formed upon a single set of needles, and it will beobservedthat in the practice of my invention the open or lace work maybe commenced at any point in the stocking and desirably at about thepoint 80, namely, at the bottom of said section 79 of plain knitting. Sofar as I am aware, this effect has notiheretofore been produced byneedle action, neither has it been produced by sinker action prior to myinvention.

I have in describing my invention stated that the special sinkers in thefirst course draw or measure an amount of yarn which is the full amount,but is robbed partially or wholly and is restored in the second course,so that in the completed fabric all the courses from the first show theopen work as of the full width. This is a characteristic of myinvention. but in Figs. 4 and 5, I have indicated at 81 the open or lacework as having upper tapered ends and at 82 I have indicate-d the saidopen work stripes as having tapered lower ends. This desirable andcharacteristic feature is caused, though it need not be employed, byreason of the fact that the courses of the section of fabric 79 areknitted under full tension and they draw upon the first few courses ofthe leg part '72 of the stocking wherein the open work stripes appear,with the result that the first few courses of the open work stripe maybe of gradually increasing width commencing at substantially zero at thepoint 83 in Fig. 4 and extending to the point 84, Where they' are of thefull width. This feature of the invention may or may not be employed,but is desirably used. Any suitable fashioning mechanism may beemployed, as, for example, fashioning mechanism shown in any patentdisclosing the well-known Banner machine, such as the Hemphill PatentNo. 933,443, dated September 7, 1909.

In Fig. 6, I have represented a portion of knitted fabric made bycooperating sinker action in accordance with the somewhat modified formof my invention, and.

-course and in several immediately succeeding courses, such as three orfour in number. The action is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 8,wherein at A I have indicated the first course and have represented thethroat 86 lof the sinker 85 as engaging the yarn at 87 so as to producea sinker Wale, which, however, is not of abnormal size as compared witha usual sinker Wale, that is. in the completed fabric. In the said firstcourse, the yarn is engaged at 87 by the special sinker and adjacentthereto at each side are the needle wales or loops 88, 89. Upon thesecond course as diagrammatically indicated at B', another sinker Waleis engaged by the throat 86 as indicated at 87a,

the preceding sinker Wale 87 being againA engaged by the same throat. AtC', I have indica-ted the appearance of the completed fabric and thereinhave indicated the sinker wales 87, 87. `It will be observed that thesaid sinker wales are of normal size. I have indicated the needle walesadjacent thereto on either side at 88, 89, and it Will be observed thatthese needle wales are of abnormal size, and in fact of such size. as toproduce an open work effect as clearly indicated in stripes in Fig. '7.This characteristic two-needle effect, as it Ymay be termed, is producedwholly by sinker action, but the sinker Wales themselves are notenlarged, the enlargement being wholly in the adjoining needle wales oneach side. This enlargement is due evidently or apparently to the factthat the two needles upon which the loops 88, 89 are formed are at orsubstantially lat the lowest knitting point at this time and thereforedraw a slightly additional amount of yarn from the supply.` Thisadditional amount thus appears in the needle loops or wales and not inthe sinker wales.

In the hose or stocking shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the open Work stripesare provided with tapered ends of the same character as those indicatedin Figs. 4 and 5.

I do not in this application claim the mechanism herein disclosed, asthe same is disclosed in and claimed in' my fao-pending application,Serial No. 317,078, tiled August 12, 1919.

Having thus described the said fabric,

I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purpces oflimitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the followingclaims.

Claims- 1. A plain knitted fabric composed of alternating needle walesand Sinkel' Wales, said. needle wales being of uniform size and shapethroughout the fabric and the needle loops of all the needle Wales beingof uniform size and shape throughout the fabric, a plurality of saidsinker wales each severally presenting prolonged open-Work formationparallel with and Wholly between two next adjacent needle wales, andeach such prolonged open-work sinker Wale formation consisting of amultiplicity of sinker loops in immediately successive courses, all saidsinker loops being of substantially the same length, and each saidsinker loop composed of all the yarn originally apportioned thereto andwhich is markedly in excess of the normal sinker loops of the fabric,each of said sinker open-work Wales having throughout sharply definedparallel edges and ythe two needle wales immediately bounding each saidopen-work formation sinker Wale on each side of such sinker Wale beingcomposed wholly of needle loops allof the same size and shape as thenormal needle loops elsewhere throughout the fabric. l

2. A plain knitted fabric composed of alternating needle wales andnormal sinker.'

Wales and interspersed abnormal sinker Wales, said needle wales being ofuniform size and shape throughout the fabric and the needle loops of allthe needle wales being of uniform size and shape throughout the fabric,said abnormal sinker wales each presenting prolonged open-work formationparallel with and wholly between two next adjacent needle Wales, andeach such prolonged open-Work sinker Wale formation consisting of amultiplicity of sinker loops in immediately successive courses, all saidsinker loops being unrobbed and of substantially the same size andlength and markedly larger than the normal sinker loops of the fabric,each of said abnormal sinker wales having sharply defined parallel edgesand the two needle wales immediately bounding each said open-workformation or abnormal sinker wale on each side of such abnormal sinkerWale being composed .Wholly of needle loops all of the same size andshape as the normal needle loops elsewhere throughout the fabric.

3. A circular knitted hose or stocking consisting of plain fabric madeup of alter-` nating needle wales and sinker wales, said needle walesbeing of uniform size and shape throughout the fabric and the needleloops of all the needle Wales being of uniform size and shape throughoutthe fabric, and a majority of said sinker Wales being of normal size andshape but having interspersed thereamong a plurality of abnormally largesinker Wales', each said abnormally large sinker Wale presentingprolonged open- Work formation parallel with and Wholly between two nextadjacent needle Wales and each such prolonged open-work sinker Waleformation consisting of a multiplicity of sinker loops in immediatelysuccessive courses, all of said abnormally large sinker loops being ofsubstantially the same length and each said sinker loop `being unrobbedand of a size markedly in excess of the normal sinker loop of thefabric, each of said sinker open-Work Wales having throughout sharplydefined, parallel edges and the two needle wales immediately boundingeach said open-work formation sinker Wale on each side of such open-Worksinker Wale being composed wholly of needle loops all of the same sizeand shape as the normal needle loops elsewhere throughout the fabric,said abnormally enlarged sinker Wales being located both at the frontand at the back of the hose or stocking and extending into the top ofthe foot thereof but not into the high splice or sole of the foot.

4. A plain knitted fabric composed of alternating needle Wales andnormal sinker Wales and interspersed abnormal sinker Wales, sald needleWales being of uniform size and shape throughoutthe fabric, and

the needle loops of all the needle wales being of uniform size and shapethroughout the fabric, said abnormal sinker wales each presentingprolonged open-Work formation parallel With and Wholly between tWo nextadjacent needle Wales, and each such prolonged `open-Work sinker Waleformation consisting of a multiplicity of sinker loops in immediatelysuccessive courses, all of said sinker loops being unrobbed by theadjoining needle loops on each side, all said sinker loops being ofsubstantially the same size and length throughout the open-Work sinkerWale formation and markedly larger than the normal sinker loops of thefabric, cach of said abnormal sinker wales having sharply delinedparallel edges throughout their extent and the tWo needle Walesimmediately bounding each said open-Work formation or abnormal sinkerWale on each side of such abnormal sinker Wale being composed Wholly ofneedle loops, all of the same size and shape as the normal needle loopselsewhere throughout the fabric.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WlLLIAM A. HOUCK.

